Locking Device

ABSTRACT

In a locking device for locking to and disconnecting from the floor a movable wall element, upon impact from an outside force on the release pin, it moves against the springback factor of the second spring from stop to release position allowing the latch pin to move due to springback of the first spring from the release to stop location. The locking device has a rocker jointed to the frame to turn around the horizontal pivot shaft, horizontally displaced from the first guide. The rocker has a first head cooperating with the latch pin upper end to move the latch pin when turning the rocker around the pivot shaft, and a second head to which a downwards impacting force can be directed to turn the rocker around the pivot shaft to lift the latch pin from the stop to the release location against springback of the first spring.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a locking device defined in thepreamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Previously known is a locking device, disclosed in JP 2001003626,according to preamble of claim 1 for locking to the floor anddisconnecting from the floor a top-suspended partition wall element,folding door, sliding door or the like. The locking device is providedwith a frame which is attached to the lower edge of the door or thelike. The frame has an essentially vertical first guide and anessentially horizontal second guide. The latch pin is movable betweenthe stop location and the release location in the guiding of the firstguide. In the stop location, the lower end of the latch pin is extendeddownwards to a distance from the frame outside of the frame for lockingto the floor. In the release location, the latch pin is disconnectedfrom the floor essentially withdrawn into the frame to release the dooror the like to move in relation to the floor. The first spring isarranged to force the latch pin towards the stop location. The releasepin is movable between the stop position and the release position in theguiding of the second guide. In the stop position, the release pin holdsthe latch pin up in the release location while the outer end of therelease pin extends out of the frame. In the release position, therelease pin releases the latch pin to move into the stop location. Thesecond spring is arranged to force the release pin towards the stopposition. When there is an impact from an outside force on the releasepin, as when it hits an obstacle, the release pin moves against thespringback factor of the second spring from stop position into releaseposition so that the latch pin can move due to the springback factor ofthe first spring from the release location into the stop location andthe latch pin can lock into the socket in the floor. The socket in thefloor is provided with an inclined surface the purpose of which is toreturn the latch pin back up inside the frame into the release locationwhen the door or the like is being moved. A problem is that the lockingof the latch pin into the floor is not very secure and even anunintentional moving of the door may open the lock. Furthermore, aproblem is that a rather large sized connection piece provided withinclined surfaces needs to be attached to the floor. Furthermore, aproblem in the locking device is that it has no parts with the help ofwhich the latch pin could be easily lifted from the stop location intorelease location if the latch pin has unintentionally gone into the stoplocation in a spot other than where the connection piece is attached tothe floor.

A more remote prior art presented in FI 111749 and U.S. Pat. No.5,031,274 has an opposite function of the locking device than that insaid JP publication because the latch pin or the like is being burdenedcontinuously with a spring towards the release location and moving itinto the stop location is done by using force against the springbackfactor. In the FI publication, the release pin strives to hold the latchpin in a locked position from which it relaxes upwards to the releaselocation by moving the release pin. The locking is not secure because itmay release easily unintentionally.

THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to remove the above-mentioneddisadvantages.

Especially the object of the present invention is to present a lockingdevice, which has a simple structure and is economical and secure touse.

Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to present a lockingdevice in which the latch pin is continuously burdened against the stoplocation and in which its return from the stop location to the releaselocation is as easy as possible and may take place as ergonomically aspossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A locking device according to the present invention is characterized inClaim 1

According to the invention, the locking device is provided with a rockerwhich is jointed to the frame so that it turns around the horizontalpivot shaft, and said pivot shaft is horizontally at a distance from thefirst guide, and said rocker is provided with a first head which isadapted to work together with the upper end of the latch pin in order tomove the latch pin when turning the rocker around the pivot shaft, and asecond head, to which a downwards directed force can be applied in orderto turn the rocker around the pivot shaft in order to lift the latch pinfrom the stop location into the release location against the springbackfactor of the first spring.

The advantage of the invention is that the latch pin stays firmly in thestop location until, by using the rocker, it is lifted against thespringback factor of the first spring into the release location. Byusing the rocker, the direction of the opening movement isadvantageously downwards and in this way ergonomic so that the latch pincan be released from the stop location to the release location forexample by pressing the rocker down by the foot and the user does notneed to bend down to lift any lever by hand. Furthermore, an advantageof the present invention is that the locking does not everunintentionally open for example due to attempts to move the movablewall element while it is in a locked position. Neither does theunintentional touching of the release pin cause the opening of thelocking while the latch pin is in the stop location.

In one embodiment of the locking device, the release pin is providedwith an arm which has the first waisting. The second guide and therelease pin are tangent to the first guide partly crossing it. In thevicinity of the lower end of the latch pin, there is a second waistingwhich is adapted to receive the arm of the release pin in order to holdthe latch pin in the release location. The first waisting of the releasepin is adapted so that when the first waisting is moved to be in linewith the latch pin, the latch pin is free to move between the stoplocation and the release location.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the cross sections of the arm ofthe release pin and the first waisting are round.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the latch pin is a piece made ofa single uniform material, in which the said second waisting has beenformed.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the cross section of the latchpin is round.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the latch pin has a peripheralgroove which forms the second waisting.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the latch pin is provided withan upper part and a lower part which is transversely narrower than theupper part, forming the second waisting.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the upper part and the lowerpart are separate pieces which are connected to each other by connectingmembers.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the upper part has a crosssection that is round, or a quadrangular parallelepiped, or the upperpart is provided with both round and planar shapes.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the cross section of the lowerpart is round.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the first spring is adapted toact between the frame and the rocker in order to force the latch pintowards the stop location.

In an embodiment of the locking device, in the vicinity of the upper endof the latch pin there is a hole, socket or the like which has beenadapted to receive the first head of the rocker.

In an embodiment of the locking device, in the second end of the rockeris disposed a handle or the like which extends horizontally transverselyto a distance from the rocker and to which handle the downwards directedforce has to be focused manually such as pressing by foot or othersuitable tool.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the frame is provided with afirst chamber inside of which the rocker and the first spring have beenfitted, and a second chamber inside of which the second spring and therelease pin have been fitted and which forms the second guide for therelease pin.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the frame is made of light alloysuch as an extrusion profile made of aluminum.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the frame is a piece formed ofone or several extruded plastic pieces connected together.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the sides of the first chamberare limited by two vertical walls which are at a distance from eachother, and the pivot shaft supporting the rocker is a pin which issupported by the walls by its ends.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the walls form at least a partof the first guide in order to guide the latch pin.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the first spring is a coilspring fitted to be a bending stress spring which is suspended to besupported by the walls using a through-passing pin.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the second spring is a coilspring fitted to be a pressure spring which is fitted into the secondchamber in relation to the frame between a fixed support and the releasepin.

LIST OF FIGURES

In the following the present invention is explained in detail throughexamples of embodiments and referring to the attached drawing in which

FIG. 1 presents an embodiment of the locking device according to theinvention as a longitudinal section, installed in the lower edge of themovable wall element while the latch pin is in the release location.

FIG. 2 presents a section II-II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 presents a section III-III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 presents the locking device of FIG. 1 when the latch pin is inthe stop location,

FIG. 5 presents a section V-V of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 presents a movable wall system in a closed position in which themovable wall elements are fitted with the locking devices according tothe invention,

FIG. 7 presents a part of the movable wall system of FIG. 6 when onemovable wall element is folded open and the adjacent movable wallelement is moved next to it in order to be turned,

FIG. 8 presents the movable wall system of FIG. 6 when all the movablewall elements are folded open,

FIG. 9 presents the latch pin of another embodiment of the lockingdevice according to the invention, seen from the side, and the crosssections A-A- and B-B of the latch pin, and

FIG. 10 presents the latch pin of a third embodiment of the lockingdevice according to the invention, seen from the side, alternativesa)-d) of the cross section C-C of the upper part of the latch pin, andthe cross section D-D.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-5 show a locking device 1 with which the movable wall elements 2presented in FIGS. 6-9 or movable partition walls, turning or slidingdoors or the like can be releasably locked to the floor 5 to beimmobile.

The locking device 1 is provided with a frame 6 which is connected tothe lower edge 4 of the movable wall element 2. The frame 6 is providedwith an essentially vertical first guide 7 and an essentially horizontalsecond guide 8. The latch pin 9 is movable between the stop location Iand the release location II in the guiding of the essentially verticalfirst guide 7.

In FIGS. 1-3, the latch pin 9 is in the release location II in which thelatch pin 9 is detached from touching the floor 5 essentially withdrawninside the frame so that the movable wall element 2 or the like is freeto move in relation to the floor 5.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the latch pin 9 is in the stop location I in which thelower end 11 of the latch pin 9 is extended downwards to a distance fromand outside of the frame 6 so that the lower end 11 can extend into thesocket 32 or equivalent hold member in the floor 5. The first spring 12is arranged to force the latch pin 9 towards the stop location I.

Further, the locking device 1 is provided with a release pin 13 which ismovable between the stop position III and the release position IV in theguiding of the second guide 8.

In FIGS. 1-3, the release pin 13 is in the stop position III in whichthe release pin 13 holds the latch pin 9 up in the release location II.

In this position, the outer end 15 of the release pin 13 extendshorizontally out of the frame 6.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the release pin 13 is in the release position IV inwhich the release pin 13 releases the latch pin 9 to move freely betweenthe release location II and the stop location I.

The second spring 16 is arranged to force the release pin 13 towards thestop position III.

Locking of the locking device 1 occurs automatically when there is animpact from an outside force on the release pin 13 such as when it hitsa fixed stopper. Then, the release pin 13 moves against the springbackfactor of the second spring 16 from the stop position III of FIGS. 1-3to the release position IV of FIGS. 4 and 5 so that the latch pin 9 isreleased to move from the release location II down to the stop locationI due to the pressing of the springback factor of the first spring 12.

The locking device 1 is provided with a rocker 17 which is jointed tothe frame 6 so that it turns around the horizontal pivot shaft 18, andsaid pivot shaft is horizontally at a distance from the first guide. Therocker 17 is provided with a first head 19 which is adapted toco-operation with the upper end 10 of the latch pin 9 in order to movethe latch pin 9 when turning the rocker 17 around the pivot shaft 18 andvice versa. A downwards impacting force F can be directed to the secondhead 20 of the rocker 17 in order to turn the rocker 17 around the pivotshaft 18 in order to lift the latch pin 9 from the stop location I tothe release location II against the springback factor of the firstspring 12.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, the cross section of the latch pin 9 isround and it is formed of one single part. Preferably, the latch pin 9is formed by lathe work. In the frame 6, there is a vertical boringinside which the latch pin 9 has been fitted. The boring forms the firstguide 7 for guiding the movement of the latch pin.

The release pin 13 is provided with an arm 21, whose cross section isround and in which the first waisting 22 has been formed, as presentedin FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5. The second guide 8 and the release pin 13 aretangent to the first guide partly crossing it, as is presented in crosssection FIGS. 3 and 5. In the vicinity of the lower end 11 of the latchpin 9 there is a second waisting 23 which is fitted to receive insideitself the round arm 21 of the release pin 13 in order to hold the latchpin 9 in the release location II (See FIGS. 1 and 3). The secondwaisting 23 is here a peripheral groove, which is lathed in the latchpin 9. The first waisting 22 of the release pin 13 is fitted so thatwhen the first waisting 22 is moved to be matching together with thelatch pin 9, the latch pin is free to move between the stop location Iand the release location II (See FIGS. 4 and 5).

As is best presented in FIGS. 1 and 4, the first spring 12 impactsbetween the frame 6 and the rocker 17 in order to force the latch pin 9towards the stop location I. In the vicinity of the upper end 10 of thelatch pin 9 there is a hole 24, which is fitted to receive inside itselfthe first head 19 of the rocker 17. In the second end 20 of the rocker17 is organized a handle 25 or the like which reaches horizontallytransversely to a distance from the rocker 17. Using a downwardsdirected force F, such as pressing by a foot or other suitable tool, thehandle 25 can be pressed downwards from the position of FIGS. 4 and 5into the position of FIGS. 1-3.

The frame 6 is made of light alloy, such as an extrusion profile made ofaluminum, in which two chambers 26 and 27 have been formed. The frame 6is provided with the first chamber 26 inside which the rocker 17 and thefirst spring 12 have been fitted. Furthermore, the frame 6 is providedwith a second chamber 27 inside which the second spring 16 and therelease pin 13 have been fitted and which forms the second guide 8 forthe release pin 13. The sides of the first chamber 26 are limited by twovertical walls 28, 29 which are at a distance from each other. The pivotshaft 18 supporting the rocker 17 is a pin which is supported by thewalls 28, 29 by its ends. The first spring 12 is a coil spring fitted tobe a bending stress spring which is supported by the walls 28, 29 usinga pin 30. The second spring 16 is a coil spring fitted to be a pressurespring which is fitted into the second chamber 27 in relation to theframe 6 between a fixed support 31 and the release pin 13.

In another embodiment, the frame 6 can be formed of one or severalplastic pieces made by injection molding.

FIGS. 6-8 present a movable wall system, in which the movable wallelements 2 are equipped with the locking devices 1 of FIGS. 1-5.

There are four pieces of elements 2 in the example of FIG. 6. Themovable wall system of FIG. 6 is in the closed position in which themovable wall elements 2 are sequentially in the same vertical plane andform a partitioning wall. In FIG. 8, the movable wall system is in theopen position, in which the movable wall elements 2 have been moved tobe side by side and turned into a perpendicular position against theimage plane. FIG. 7 presents an intermediary stage when moving themovable wall elements from the plane of FIG. 6 to the position in FIG.7.

The system is top-suspended, so-called, so that it is provided with anupper guide 33, which is installed in the fixed structure of thebuilding and which supports and guides the movable wall elements 2 whenthey are moved. The total weight of the movable wall elements 2 iscarried by the upper guide 33. FIG. 6 presents a straight upper guide33, but angles, curves and other lines diverging from straight can beformed in the upper guide 33. Furthermore, the movable wall elements 2can be turned around a vertical axle in order to open the wall, as isexplained in more detailed in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The movable wall elements 2 are provided with a rectangular glass pane34 equipped with sash profiles 35, 36. The first sash profile 35 isattached to the horizontal upper edge 3 of the movable wall element 2.The wheelsets 37, 38, which move on the brackets of the upper guide 33,are attached to the first sash profile 35. In the horizontal lower edge4 of the movable wall element 2 there is an equivalent second sashprofile 35 to which the locking device 1 is attached. The locking device1 is fitted in the box-like space inside the sash profile 36, aspresented in FIGS. 1-5.

In FIG. 6, the movable wall elements 2 are locked in the closed positionwith the locking devices 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates a situation in which the left hand movable wallelement 2 has been turned into a perpendicular position against theimage plane into the open position using the latch pin 9 of the lockingdevice 1 which is in the stop location I inside the socket 32 in thefloor 5 as a trunnion of the lower end of the movable wall element 2,around which trunnion the turning has occurred. The adjacent movablewall element 2 has been moved into its own pivot position beside theturned movable wall element 2 and is still parallel with the imageplane. The latch pin 9 of the locking device 1 is in the releaselocation II but is moving into the stop location I as soon as therelease pin 13 hits the edge of the lower sash profile 36 of the turnedmovable wall element 2. Once this has happened, also the second movablewall element 2 can be turned into the open position, to be perpendicularto the image plane.

FIG. 8 illustrates the situation in which all of the four movable wallelements 2 of the movable wall system of FIG. 6 have been turned intothe open position and the latch pins 9 of their locking devices are inthe stop location I extended into the sockets 32 in the floor 5.

FIG. 9 presents a latch pin 9 made of a single uniform material. Thelatch pin 9 is provided with an upper part 39, whose cross section isround, and a lower part 40, which in a transverse direction is narrowerthan the upper part 39, which forms the second waisting 23. In therelease location of the latch pin 9, the arm of the release pin 13 restsagainst the stopper surface, which is formed in the transition betweenthe upper part and the lower part.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the upper part 39 and the narrower lowerpart 40 of the latch pin 9, are separate pieces, which have beenconnected together by appropriate connections 41, which in this case arethreaded connecting members. In the lower part 40, there is anexternally threaded pin and the upper part 39 has an internally threadeddead hole into which the external threading of the pin of the lower part40 can be driven. Section C-C illustrates the various possible crosssection shapes of the upper part 39. The cross section of the upper part39 can be a) round, b) square, c) rectangular, or d) it can havestraight and round shapes. The cross section 40 D-D of the lower part ispreferably round.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment examples presented above,but many variations are possible while remaining in the framework of theidea of the invention defined in the claims.

1. A locking device (1) for locking to and disconnecting from the floor(5) a movable wall element (2), door or the like, which has an upperedge (3) and a lower edge (4), which locking device (1) comprises aframe 6, which can be attached to the lower edge (4) of the movable wallelement, door or the like, and in which frame there is an essentiallyvertical first guide (7) and an essentially horizontal second guide (8).a latch pin (9), which has an upper end (10) and a lower end (11), andwhich latch pin is movable in the guiding of the first guide (7) betweenthe stop location (I) and the release location (II), in which the stoplocation (I) the lower end (11) of the latch pin is extended downwardsto a distance from and outside of the frame in order to be locked intothe floor (5), and in which release location (II) the latch pin (9) isdisconnected from the floor essentially withdrawn inside the frame inorder to release the movable wall element, door or the like to move inrelation to the floor (5), a first spring (12), which is arranged toforce the latch pin (9) towards the stop location (I). a release pin(13), which has an inner end (14) and an outer end (15), and whichrelease pin is movable in the guiding of the second guide (8) betweenthe stop position (III) and the release position (IV), in which stopposition (III) the release pin holds the latch pin (9) up in the releaselocation (II) while the outer end (15) of the release pin extends out ofthe frame (6), and in which release position (IV) the release pin (13)releases the latch pin (9) to move into the stop location (I), and asecond spring (16), which is arranged to force the release pin (13)towards the stop position (III) so that due to the impact of an outsideforce directed to the release pin, such as when hitting a stopper, whenthe release pin moves against the springback factor of the second springfrom the stop position to the release position, the latch pin can movedue to the impact of the springback factor of the first spring from therelease location (II) to the stop location (I), characterized in thatthe locking device is provided with a rocker (17), which is jointed tothe frame (6) so that it turns around a horizontal pivot shaft (18), andwhich pivot shaft is horizontally at a distance from the first guide,and which rocker (17) comprises a first head (19), which is adapted toco-operate with the upper end (10) of the latch pin (9) in order to movethe latch pin when turning the rocker around the pivot shaft, and asecond head (29) to which a downwards exerted force (F) can be directedin order to turn the rocker around the pivot shaft (18) in order to liftthe latch pin (9) from the stop location (I) to the release location(II) against the springback factor of the first spring (12).
 2. Alocking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the releasepin (13) is provided with an arm (21) in which a first waisting (22) hasbeen formed; that the second guide (8) and the release pin (13) aretangent to the first guide (7) partly crossing it; that in the vicinityof the lower end (11) of the latch pin (9) there is a second waisting(23) which is fitted to receive inside itself the arm (21) of therelease pin in order to hold the latch pin (9) in the release location(II); and that the first waisting (22) of the release pin (13) is fittedso that when the first waisting (22) of the release pin (13) is moved tobe matching together with the latch pin (9), the latch pin is free tomove between the stop location (I) and the release location (II).
 3. Alocking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the arm (21)and the first waisting (22) of the release pin have a round crosssection.
 4. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe latch pin (9) is a piece made of one uniform material, in whichlatch pin the said second waisting (23) has been formed.
 5. A lockingdevice according to claim 4, characterized in that the latch pin (9) hasa round cross section.
 6. A locking device according to claim 5,characterized in that the latch pin (9) has a peripheral groove whichforms the said second waisting (23).
 7. A locking device according toclaim 1, characterized in that the latch pin (9) is provided with anupper part (39), and a lower part (40), which in transverse direction isnarrower than the upper part (39), forming the said second waisting(23).
 8. A locking device according to claim 7, characterized in thatthe upper part (39) and the lower part (40) are separate pieces whichhave been connected to each other by connecting members (41).
 9. Alocking device according to claim 8 characterized in that the upper part(39) has a round or quadrangular parallelepiped cross section, or theupper part (39) is provided with both round and planar shapes.
 10. Alocking device according to claim 7, characterized in that the lowerpart (40) has a round cross section.
 11. A locking device according toclaim 1, characterized in that the first spring (12) is fitted to impactbetween the frame (6) and the rocker (17) in order to force the latchpin (9) towards the stop location (I).
 12. A locking device according toclaim 1, characterized in that in the vicinity of the upper end (10) ofthe latch pin (9) there is a hole (24), socket or the like, which isfitted to receive inside itself the first head (19) of the rocker (17).13. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inthe second end (20) of the rocker (17) is disposed a handle (25) or thelike which extends horizontally transversely to a distance from therocker and to which handle a downwards directed force (F) can be focusedmanually such as pressing by foot or other suitable tool.
 14. A lockingdevice according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame is providedwith a first chamber (26) inside of which the rocker (17) and the firstspring (12) have been fitted, and a second chamber (27) inside of whichthe second spring (16) and the release pin (13) have been fitted andwhich forms the second guide (8) for the release pin (13).
 15. A lockingdevice according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame (6) is aextrusion profile made of light alloy, such as aluminum.
 16. A lockingdevice according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame (6) is apiece formed of one or several extruded plastic pieces connectedtogether.
 17. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized inthat the sides of the first chamber (26) are limited by two verticalwalls (28, 29), which are at a distance from each other, and that thepivot shaft (18) supporting the rocker (17) is a pin which is supportedby the walls (28, 29) by its ends.
 18. A locking device according toclaim 17, characterized in that the walls (28, 29) form at least a partof the first guide (8) for guiding the latch pin (9).
 19. A lockingdevice according to claim 17, characterized in that the first spring(12) is a coil spring fitted to be a bending stress spring which issupported by the walls (28, 29), using a pin (30).
 20. A locking deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the second spring (16) is acoil spring fitted to be a pressure spring, which is fitted into thesecond chamber (27) in relation to the frame (6) between a fixed support(31) and the release pin (13).